


Wake up, stay with me

by lielais_dumpis



Category: GreedFall (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Compliant, I imagine the island bigger else it’s too tiny, M/M, Unrequited Love, bless poor de sardet he has been stressed about constantin since 1226, full name is Théo Davian de Sardet, hindsight names don’t make sense but im cheesy, or is it? :)))
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-20 15:27:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30006975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lielais_dumpis/pseuds/lielais_dumpis
Summary: Four evenings in New Sérène written and rewritten to weave into the tapestry that is Tír Fradí fate.
Relationships: Constantin d'Orsay & De Sardet, Constantin d'Orsay/De Sardet
Kudos: 5





	Wake up, stay with me

**Author's Note:**

> english is not my first or second language, sorry and thank you  
> 

_After the diplomatic visits to cities San-Matheus and Hikmet and learning about their possible leads for Malichor cure, Théo de Sardet has finally returned to New Sérène having been gone for nearly two weeks._

\---

After waking the servants, Teo knows he’s not appreciating the bath properly, scrubbing himself as fast as he can. But if he relaxes in the water even for just a minute, he’ll fall asleep there and then, and likely end up catching a cold; so tired he is after the return trip from Hikmet. He thought he was used to travel. But Tír Fradí is completely wild. Merchants and caravanners say that establishing proper roads is hard; as if the island, the nature itself disapproves of it and does everything it can to fight against being tamed.

The encounters with hostile foreign fauna, the barely traversable paths through forests and swamps, and being able to have a warm bath at the end of the journey is one thing he will always indulge in, even if it’s in the middle of the night. Being clean and passing out in his bed is a regular fantasy during his travels at this point.

Putting on a loose nightshirt and pants, still drying his hair with a towel with one hand and holding his weapons with the other, he’s six steps up the stairs when a quiet “Sir!” makes him halt and nearly catch on a step. He blinks a couple of times, waking himself up, and turns around.

“Yes?” Teo inquires looking at the servant who’s standing at the foot of the stairs.

“His Highness arrived a few bells ago. He’s still in your personal rooms upstairs.”

“Oh.” Teo can’t quite help his brows rising in surprise but he recovers quickly, levelling out his expression, heaving a fake sigh instead. “Poking nose in my unfinished reports as per usual. Pay it no mind, Constantin does that sometimes. Thank you for letting me know.” Teo replies neutrally and gives the servant a polite smile, turning to continue upstairs and hoping this won’t start any rumours. 

Closing the bedroom door, Teo walks over to an end table between the two windows to set down his flintlock revolver and sabre, as well as the towel, all the while eyes focused on the sleeping form in his bed. The weariness momentarily forgotten, worry in its stead, Teo leans against a window frame, studying Constantin’s pale face illuminated by moonlight. The prince’s features are drawn into a restless grimace and Teo wonders if it’s due to the anxieties of being in a strange new world and the pressure of his position as a governor. But dismisses the possibility as soon as it occurs.

It’s something Constantin used to do a lot when they were younger; sneaking through palace wings to Teo’s rooms, asking if he can stay the night there; having bad dreams and not wanting to be alone. It swiftly became so regular Teo often found Constantin already occupying his bed whenever he retired for the night. 

In the beginning he never talked about them, but eventually, Teo convinced him that dreams don’t come true if they are said out loud to someone. To be carried away. At least that’s what Princess de Sardet used to tell him. 

She also said that running water works too, if there is no one to tell one’s dreams to. But Teo didn’t voice that part, wanting to be the one who carries Constantin’s nightmares away.

The slumber parties eventually stopped as they got older. Constantin hadn’t done this for years and Teo assumed the fears had vanished over time.

With a small sigh he walks over to the bed, perching on the edge, and leans over the sleeping prince, running fingers over his forehead in an attempt to smooth out the angry frown set between his brows. 

The touch wakes Constantin up, making Teo withdraw his hand. “I didn’t know you were back.” His voice is rough and heavy with sleep Teo just interrupted.

“Returned but a moment ago.” Teo whispers softly, fuzzy feeling in his chest. Constantin hasn’t even opened his eyes and yet he knows it’s him. As if it’s unimaginable that it could be anyone else.

“Are you having nightmares again?” Teo immediately gets to the matter at hand.

The prince’s eyes fly open, gaze landing on Teo’s face. “I… yes…” He admits hesitantly.

Sprawling on the bed, Teo finds Constantin’s hand, drawn into a tight fist, and pulls it to his chest, holding it there, gently prying at the tense fingers until the prince loosens them. For a while he stares into the darkness of the ceiling, idly brushing his thumb over the back of Constantin’s hand, feeling alert eyes on his profile. 

Teo already knows what it’s going to be. The dreams tend to start different but always end the same. History twisted. Echo distorted. A memory corrupted. Still… 

“Let me take them.” Teo says simply; exactly like he used to years ago, a sacred ritual he has never forgotten.

“I tried to, but your hand, it- That evening in Sérène you-” Clearly expecting Teo’s words, Constantin blurts out, but cuts himself off at the convoluted recollection.

“Which evening?” Teo asks, trying to help him find the beginning.

There is a moment of silence before Constantin takes a deep breath. “You convinced that duke… what was his name… To propose an end to the trade embargo between Sibaya and the Congregation.” 

“Duke Vlaeva?” Teo supplies helpfully. Constantin could never be bothered to remember the names of all the nobles, often forgetting them as soon they were said out loud. It wasn’t out of spite or an attempt to avoid his duties. He simply had his own way of doing things and knowing the names of every noble wasn’t it. _I know all the people that matter, and they don’t._ He often argued, not caring for the scoldings his parents gave him.

“Yes, that one. My father had been trying to convince the Sibayan emissaries to reopen the trade routes for years. And you did it by chance.” Teo hears a snicker in his voice; Constantin always enjoyed when someone showed his father up.

Sir de Courcillon had encouraged Teo to talk business with the guests at the Autumn festival as practice. Converse, gauge reactions and information, charm, misdirect. Find what they have, find what they want and don’t let them know what you want. 

Teo considered it all too predatory for his taste; back in Sérène he always felt like he was trying to swallow with a knife pressed against his throat, navigating people who are constantly trying to rip each other off. 

Tired of the mingling and mind games, he slipped up and ended up expressing his very blunt opinion about trade relations with Sibaya without realizing he’s talking to their envoy. Apparently, his honesty and acknowledgement of both nation’s flaws seemed to have impressed the duke. A lucky fluke Teo never repeated.

“We went to celebrate at the tavern in the west side docks… I didn’t even get to finish my ale.” Constantin remarks mournfully.

“If my memory serves, you were the one who threw the first punch.” Teo points out and imagines the look of outrage Constantin is giving him. He can feel it in the way the arm Teo is holding against his chest tenses slightly. 

“Technicality! They might as well have swung first!” Constantin exclaims.

Teo holds back a smile. A couple of shady characters had commented on the mark on Teo’s cheek in an unflattering manner and Constantin flew into immediate rage. He always took offence on Teo’s behalf, even if Teo didn’t particularly care for the opinion of random strangers. The scrutiny he was under as both a child and a teenager made him develop skin so thick, cheap insults didn’t leave a single scratch.

Teo remembers that day all too well. The confrontation escalated into an open brawl, as it usually does, and someone called the guard. Not wanting to sully Teo’s diplomatic success with a reprimand that would inevitably come if the Coin Guard retained them and reported back to the palace, Constantin took off, dragging Teo with him. 

Through buzzing night markets and muddy alleyways, rounding corner after corner, left, right, left, right, down the street and then right again; Teo’s hand in Constantin’s. Somewhere along the way they both started laughing.

Until after turning down another street the prince stopped and whipped around so abruptly Teo would have collided with him if Constantin hadn’t expected that. Sidestepping Teo and catching him before he stumbled, the prince pushed him into into a narrow niche between two buildings before wedging himself in it too. Apparently, some of the thugs had followed them.

There was enough room in the recess to allow for some distance between them. Yet Teo was bodily pushed into the wall, his personal space invaded. Palm pressed over Teo’s mouth, Constantin kept shushing him into silence despite the prince being the one barely holding back laughter.

Teo was frozen in place, ill prepared to deal with the proximity, his heartbeat speeding up and not because of the running. Face to face with feelings for Constantin he shouldn’t have been feeling. Ones he always kept carefully hidden away because they didn’t matter and never would. Teo would have preferred to face the thugs.

After a while Constantin leaned an inch outward to check the street before drawing back. _They passed us._ He whispered against the back of his palm, mirth still in his voice; breath slipping between the fingers and warming Teo’s lips. Not in a rush to move, he relaxed against Teo but did not ease off of him at all and Teo had to will himself to not swallow, to not react inappropriately, to not do anything, glad for the darkness obscuring his face that likely would have shown it all. 

When they finally left their hiding place, Teo felt like he had accomplished some kind of feat, even if he couldn’t put a name on it.

Constantin took his hand again and pulled him towards the palace. Their pace was unhurried, but Teo kept dragging his feet, feeling ashamed and unravelling. He wasn’t deserving of holding Constantin’s hand with the thoughts he was harbouring for the prince. 

He tried to let his hand drop by loosening his grasp, but Constantin seized it tighter and looked over his shoulder smiling. There was a beginnings of a bruise on his cheekbone and his bottom lip was cut, a drop of blood glistening in the light of the street lanterns. With misery Teo thought how much he wants to kiss him.

Heavy silence pulls Teo out of the memory and he turns his head to find Constantin’s eyes closed. His face is a careful blank, but for the brows pinching slightly. Lost in the same memory or rather his dream version of it. 

“We ran and ran through the city…” He finally speaks up, voice distant and weak, barely there. “I could see nothing but the cobblestones under my feet. And I didn’t care for the darkness as long as I knew you were right behind me, but then your hand slipped from mine.”

Teo instinctively tightens his grip on the hand he’s holding and thinks he sees Constantin’s mouth twitch into a small smile before it’s gone again.

“I turned back to take it, and it slipped free again. I turned around again, but every time I did you were further and further away from me. And you- You said-” Constantin takes a shaky breath and doesn’t finish the sentence, letting them both linger in silence once more.

Teo has an idea or two of what his dream visage self could have said that scares Constantin so. He’s used to Constantin’s nightmares wearing his face.

“I hate when you’re gone so long, I always fear I’ll never see you again.” The prince says instead.

I would never leave you. Teo wants to say but doesn't. This, too, is part of the ritual. He was quick to reassure in the beginning. But Constantin always replied with “You don’t know that.” Sad smile on his face. There was no judgement in his words, no accusation. Only fear of unknown future.

But Teo does know. 

“You do not mind, do you? Me coming here.” Constantin’s voice has a fragile edge to it.

“Of course, I don’t. Why would I ever?”

“I wasn’t sure if after so long…” The prince trails off.

“I’m just glad you used the door.” Teo remarks dryly, recalling all the absurd ways Constantin thought was appropriate to get places.

“How do you know?”

“Servants told me.”

Constantin groans. “And here I thought I was as sneaky as a thief. Next time I’ll climb the wall.”

“I beg of you, please don’t.”

“You still haven’t forgiven me for scaling the palace exterior to reach the piano room you were having a lesson in after I was grounded to the Royal wing.”

“Yes.” Teo easily agrees. “And I never will.”

“I still remember the look on your face.” The prince chuckles.

“It was on the fourth floor!” Teo scolds.

“But worth it! You convinced my parents being contained to the family wing was a danger to my physical well being.”

Teo heaves a sigh, but is glad the somber mood has been banished, Constantin back to his usual self, chatting away.

“Maybe you should just come live in the palace, then I wouldn’t need to sneak around. Do us both a favour.” Constantin continues. “Oh, I know! We should have our suites next to each other, with doors joining them! Then we could meet all the time without having to worry about judging eyes!”

Teo doesn’t reply to that, doesn’t really know how to, feeling his heart skip a beat. By the Light… doesn’t he realize what he’s saying? Placements like that always being reserved for consorts and lovers.

“And have breakfast together every morning just like old times.” The prince goes on.

Teo frowns. “We already have breakfast together every morning whenever I’m in New Sérène.”

“But you have to dress up and walk through the square and the palace and only then we can have breakfast. So inconvenient. I’m thinking about you here! It would save you so much time and trouble!” He’s already trying to convince Teo. “We are, after all, in charge now. I sometimes forget that my father isn’t lording over me anymore.”

“Don’t be foolish, Constantin. You know there are things more urgent to address right now.” Teo says through a yawn, the exhaustion finally catching up to him.

Constantin hums thoughtfully. “Mmm, but once those are dealt with…” He promises without finishing the sentence, lost in thought, likely already redesigning the palace currently being built further up the coast. 

Teo knows he’s already doomed if the prince actually decides to go through with something like that. He doesn’t anticipate it being good for his heart, but he could never say no to Constantin.

“Besides… what’s the point of being in charge if I can’t be foolish sometimes.”

“A fair point.” Teo concedes and in an attempt to find a more comfortable sleeping position, turns on his side, facing Constantin. Letting his eyes fall closed, not able to resist the heavy pull of fatigue any longer. He feels Constantin shift the hand Teo is still holding to entwine their fingers together.

“I should have an underground tunnel made between your residence and the palace as a temporary solution.” Constantin says, making Teo chuckle.

“You’re relentless.” He mumbles a reply absently, already falling asleep.


End file.
